3/26_Dr. REX remix/2nd Song

Basic

Today we're going to continue working with the Dr. Rex to make a remix of a song that uses a famous sample. First, let's learn a new function available on the Dr. Rex: pitch change.

First of all, what is pitch? What happens when you you change the pitch of a sound? Why would you want to change the pitch of a sample that you're working with?

One of the cool things that the Dr. REX is able to do is to change the pitch of a sample without changing the length of the sample. This is very important feature for producers who use a lot of samples (Kanye, old school Dre, J Dilla, etc.) in their music because it gives them a lot of flexibility with how they can work with them.

Changing pitch in Dr. REX is pretty easy. You basically just change the note in this section, called the Transpose section:

What you will hear is the sample playing in a lower or higher pitch, but at the same speed. This means that you can take a sample and then adjust it so that it is in the same key as the rest of your song.

So today, you are going to make a remix that uses a sample from a famous Michael Jackson song, called PYT. Have you heard this sample used in any other songs?

Listen.

Assignment:

1. Copy the sample to your folder. Get it at: Pickupdropoff>BAVAC>Pickup>Period5>PYT.rx2
2. Open Reason and Create a Dr REX loop player
3. Load PYT.rx2 into the Dr REX.
4. Lower the tempo to 100 BPMs.
5. Change the note on the Dr Rex to B-flat.
6. Put the L marker on Bar 1 and the R marker on Bar 5.
7. Click the To Track button on the Dr.Rex.
   
8. Create a Redrum and make a beat to go under it.
9. Create a Malstrom or Subtractor and load an instrument that sounds good with the sample.
   
10. Play notes until you find the one that matches up with the very first part of the sample. Now you know what key the song is in! Do you think this song uses the Major or Minor scale?
    
11. Find some notes that go along with the sample and record a melody.
12. Create another instrument of your choice (Subtractor/Malstrom/NN19/NNXT) and add a simple bassline (2-3 notes).
    
13. Copy the drums, melody and PYT loop so that they end on Bar 17.
14. If you still have some time, you can either add more instruments (suggestion: a Dr. REX percussion loop) or create a second section from Bars 17-25.
    
15. Save your file as "(your name)_GoodLife" and put a copy in the Dropoff folder (Pickupdropoff>BAVAC>Dropoff>Period 5).

If you are stuck on what to play, here are a few tips...

• Remember that the easiest way to figure out notes that work are to figure out the steps of the scale you're working with: Major Scale: W-W-H-W-W-W-H Minor Scale: W-H-W-W-H-W-W
• Listen to what Kanye is playing in the song...He is playing the same notes as the chipmunk singing part. The notes are: E-D-E-A-C-E-D.
• A good Subtractor patch to use is a Mono Synth patch called Detune Lead.zyp.

Advanced
Your 2nd Full Songs are due tomorrow at the end of class. Today you have a good long chunk of time to get them mostly done. Remember, you have to give me a song that sounds really different from the last song you did! - Use different instruments, change the tempo, play in a different type of scale (Major vs. Minor). Flip it.